Pardew is being hung out to dry by Newcastle, claim ex-skipper Howey

Newcastle’s dismal efforts in the
transfer market this summer have left manager Alan Pardew ‘hung out to
dry’ in the view of former club captain Steve Howey.

Joe
Kinnear was appointed by Mike Ashley to oversee signings but so far the
only acquisition has been a loan move for Loic Remy. An opening 4-0
defeat at Manchester City on Monday did not bode well and Howey believes
Pardew is being left in an unworkable situation.

‘Pardew
looks fed up; he’s on his own. It looks as though he’s being hung out
to dry,’ Howey told talkSPORT. ‘The owner is basically saying: “It’s my
team, I own the club, you get on with it”, and whoever is in that
situation will really struggle.

Unimpressed: Pardew looks on as his side are thrashed 4-0 by Man City on Monday night

Hammered: Samir Nasri scores the fourth at the Etihad Stadium on Monday night

‘His
hands have been tied and if Pardew does get the sack it would be
horrendous for Newcastle.

'When a manager gets sacked, at least they can
turn around and say they did it their way. But he doesn’t really have a
say in what goes on at the club at all.’

Meanwhile,
Sunderland winger Adam Johnson says he has not given up hope of
catching Roy Hodgson’s eye and returning to the England fold in this
World Cup season.

Johnson has
been on standby for his country in the last two finals and won the last
of his 12 caps against Italy 12 months ago. He has yet to feature in the
Brazil 2014 qualifying campaign but says the desire to play for England
‘burns inside’ him.

The
26-year-old winger joined Sunderland in a £10million deal last year but
has struggled to reach the form which earned him a move to Manchester
City from Middlesbrough and a regular place in the England set-up.

Better days: Howey celebrates a goal with Peter Beardsley and John Beresford in 1994

Now
one of only seven English players in Italian coach Paolo Di Canio’s
Sunderland squad, Johnson said: ‘This is as good as I’ve felt for a
while and I’m excited for the season. Hopefully I’ll get even fitter and
stronger. I’m sure the team will get better and me personally as well.

‘England
is still burning inside me. It’s a massive season for me, just as it is
for every player who has represented their country. To be on standby
for the last two major tournaments and to miss out was really
disappointing and tough to take, particularly with the way I was
playing.

‘This is huge for me, there’s a massive carrot at the end of the season.’

Looking up: Adam Johnson is confident of a strong season in a Sunderland shirt